Game Time: 'I Am Alive' & 'Mass Effect 3'

The post-apocalyptic world comes in a number of varieties, from zombie swarm to nuclear destruction. Despite the means, the end will usually find you very much alone and unavoidably outnumbered, and this is where the story of "I Am Alive" begins. The planet has seen devastation, and you must take on the role of a survivor whose sole purpose is to find his family. Unfortunately, just like the buildings around him, society has crumbled into chaos and danger, making the journey as deadly as the apocalypse itself.

The game falls into the action/adventure category, switching between both third- and first-person views as you guide our hero through the once proud and populated city streets. While most games of the genre will have you blasting enemies with bullets and bombs, causing more destruction than the cataclysm itself, "I Am Alive" takes a more cerebral approach, forcing you to manage resources and make do with a scarce supply of ammo. With this in mind, you must now take each encounter into consideration and determine if you want to help, hurt or avoid to gain a higher chance of survival.

With an original approach to an overpopulated theme and the use of Xbox Live Arcade as a delivery method, "I Am Alive" offers story, style and substance to an eager gaming community.

An overwhelming alien army has invaded Earth, forcing its only hope for survival to flee the planet in order to amass a group of soldiers capable of bringing down the armor-clad, laser-wielding menace. Now with the best warriors from other alien civilizations in tow, Commander Shepard has returned, hoping to free Earth from its extraterrestrial oppressors.

"Mass Effect 3" is a third-person action game with heavy role-playing and adventure elements contributing to the overall gameplay. The series brings back its choose-your-own-adventure style as you guide the events of the story through your choices, making the narrative your own. Your decisions also find their way onto the battlefield as you command your squad, adding tactics and strategy to your arsenal of weapons.

The "Mass Effect" series has been an absolute success for BioWare. "Mass Effect 3" offers the same beloved features but takes it to the next level in both presentation and gameplay.

Media Link: Seth Green, the voice of Joker, also stars in "Family Guy," which airs Sundays on Fox.